Operation: Obtain Evans
by heylooklisten
Summary: It's 6th year and the Hogsmeade trip looms - James is aching to spend it with Lily. Naturally, she rejects him. Feeling undefeated, James rounds up his Marauders to develop a plan that will help him reach his goal. MINI-STORY COMPLETED!
1. Washed Up

**A/N - **Hello! I was never really a 'fan' of James/Lily because we knew little about their relationship, but I decided to give it a try anyway and I quite enjoyed writing it. I hope you like reading it!

**Disclaimer: **Obv. I don't own these characters, or any of the main themes. We all know they belong to J.K Rowling.

**THIS STORY IS NOW COMPLETED.  
**

* * *

"Thanks again, Professor Verbena. I really appreciate it!"

Professor Verbena beamed, holding the heavy doors of the greenhouse open for the student to exit. "Not at all, dear, not at all! It's wonderful that you came for extra help, all the better to help you study for the exams!"

Lily Evans smiled and nodded, stepping out into the rain before quickly shielding herself with an umbrella.

"I'll see you on Monday!" Professor Verbena called out behind her as she began her quick pursuit back up to the castle.

With springtime's salute came countless days of rain, and that Saturday was no exception. The land was a dreary, washed up grey – her yellow umbrella was the brightest thing within the radius. The downpour allowed dozens of puddles to form around the grounds – one particularly large puddle near the Quidditch Pitch became a terror zone, as first years always managed to get pushed in if they happened to be nearby.

Lily laughed lightly to herself at the thought, only to step into a deep puddle moments later. She groaned, feeling her sock soak up the water. It was barely 9 am and she had already had several unfortunate things happen to her, including getting gobsmacked in the face by a Snargaluff pod.

She sighed and stood on one leg as she tried to remove her shoe and drain the rest of the water out. Wobbling a bit, she finally managed to take the shoe off. As soon as she did, something or someone plucked the umbrella out of her hand above her – Lily lost her balance and tumbled to the ground with a shout.

_Oh thank goodness for grass and not mud,_ Lily thought, as the rain pelted down on the hair she tried so hard to keep dry.

"Whoops, didn't mean for that to happen." The rain suddenly stopped drenching her.

Lily knew that voice oh too well. She scrambled up and wiped the grass off her jacket furiously, whipping around to greet James Potter. He was hovering above her in complete Quidditch gear holding her umbrella high above her head. He grinned at her, his wet black hair falling in front of his eyes.

"_What is wrong with you?" _ Lily cried furiously. If he was hovering any lower, Lily was certain he would have spent the rest of the day with her hand print etched red on his face.

"Oh, I was just in the neighbourhood." James laughed when she shot him a withering look. "I spotted your beacon of an umbrella all the way from the pitch and came to say hello."

"Give back my umbrella."

"Come to Hogsmeade with me next Saturday."

"Give back my umbrella."

James raised an eyebrow contemptuously, his signature grin playing on his lips.

Lily huffed in exasperation and stormed off towards the castle. The rain still didn't touch her hair, indicating James was following her with the umbrella held high for protection.

"Oh come on Lily, what've you got to lose? It'll be fun!" he cried from above her.

"I don't consider your little tricks and jokes to be _fun_, Potter, get off my back."

James swooped down and jumped off his broom, meaning to walk with her before Lily launched herself at him, clawing at her umbrella heatedly.

"Whoa there!" James chuckled, dropping his broom and grabbing her right wrist. Lily struggled to break herself free, which proved extremely difficult against him.

"I'll—hit—you—"

James froze, peering down at her face. "Hit me? Who hit _you_?"

Lily stopped struggling, puzzled. James let her go and brushed his thumb over her jaw line– it stung in response. Realization washed over her as she remembered the Snargaluff pod.

"Nothing," she muttered, rubbing her jaw self consciously. She took her chance and yanked the umbrella out of James' hand, who seemed to look conflicted.

"Was it Snape?" James said fiercely, probably hoping for a confirmation so he had an excuse to hex the daylights out of the Slytherin.

"No. Forget it. And don't mention Severus to me," she replied quietly. Lily felt a pang of sadness mixed with hatred at the mention of her former best friend.

James looked at her. She could see the intensity in his hazel eyes behind the water speckled glasses that kept sliding down his nose. "I know you must be feeling terrible with what you've been through, and I just want you to know I'm willing to listen attentively and help you through it..."

Lily was taken aback. Never in a million years did she expect that from him. Perhaps James Potter was finally willing to embrace maturity and turn his act around for the better – the very thought was extremely appealing.

"...when you come to Hogsmeade with me."

She turned on her heel and walked away briskly without a backwards glance.

* * *

James watched Lily walk away regretfully. He sighed and picked his broom up from the soggy grass. The rain showed no mercy as he kicked up off from the ground and began flying back to the Pitch – he didn't know what possessed the captain to continue on with the practice, it was quite possible to drown midair, he thought.

_Maybe I'm pushing her a bit hard,_ James thought as he zoomed back to the Pitch. There was no denying he fancied her and there was no way he was going to let her forget it.

James remembered Sirius' wise words grimly – 'don't let her be the one that got away'. The very thought horrified him. It was time to develop a new approach...

* * *

An hour later, after a shout down from the Quidditch captain for disappearing and a rigorous session of practice, James stumbled into the Gryffindor Common Room, exhausted and drenched head to toe. Lily was seated by the fire reading her Transfiguration book. Upon seeing him enter, Lily slammed the book shut and stalked off up to the dormitories. He watched her go ruefully before making a beeline for his troop situated in their regular corner.

"Hey mate, you're looking kind of washed up if you know what I mean!" Sirius Black said, hooting with laughter. James saw Remus roll his eyes from the not-so0intense game of chess he was playing with Peter.

Sirius jumped out of his chair and ducked before James could capture him in a headlock. "Yeah, you're going to fight me when you're wet and covered in mud, I don't _think_ so."

"We've got a situation, Marauders..." James declared, looking back at the stairwell to the girls' dorm.

Remus followed his gaze. "You mean _Operation: Obtain Evans_? I thought we aborted that mission after the previous failure."

James shot him contemptuous look. "It was a temporary hiatus," he replied. "I asked her to come to Hogsmeade with me earlier – I only got attacked and then she stalked off. Females, honestly..."

Sirius laughed and threw himself onto his chair again. "The nerve of her!"

"Checkmate!" Peter suddenly cried, throwing his arms into the air in glee.

Remus heaved a sigh. "You're in front of the Queen, not the King, Peter, we've already been through this..."

"This is serious business, guys!" James said, pacing back and forth. He didn't notice a first year girl storm off disgusted after a speck of mud hit her on the nose from his uniform. "We have to come up with a clever tactic to get her to agree to Saturday."

"Brilliant, and then you'll get married and have a kid," Sirius said sarcastically. "Kidding – _I said I was kidding!_ What did you have in mind?"

The quartet came together in a circle. James' eyes gleamed with adventure.

"Here's what we'll do, boys..."

* * *

**Aaaand cut. Feedback, reviews? I'd appreciate both!**


	2. The Kidnapping of Great Gatsby

**Hello again everyone! Here's the second of a three-chapter story. The Marauders are up to their little shenanigans again, per usual, as _Operation: Obtain Evans _is a go.**

**p.s - Thanks for the wonderful reviews! It feels good to know that some people in the world enjoy the jibberish I write. ;P**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or themes, they belong to J.K Rowling. Obv.**_

* * *

James strolled down to the Great Hall the following breakfast, worn out but pleased with himself. Though he didn't get any of his Charms work complete, he and the Marauders were already well into their operation – thinking it over, he couldn't help but admire how flawless it was.

The Great Hall was noisy and packed with students already for a Sunday, grabbing pastries from the platters and chattering animatedly. The enchanted ceiling of the Grand Hall indicated, much to the students' disappointment, that it was still pouring out. James spotted Remus sitting near the end of Gryffindor's table and started towards him, slapping the hands of his Quidditch members on the way.

"So?" Remus inquired, resting his head on his hand. James seized his untouched muffin before answering.

"The surface of the water is calm... for now." he grinned, taking a generous bite – he regretted it immediately. Remus laughed at as his face twisted sourly.

"Cranberry. Nasty preference you have, Moony." he grumbled, spitting it out onto a napkin.

Remus looked amused. "This is probably the silliest idea you've come up with yet," he said. "You and Sirius have really outdone yourselves."

"Your sarcasm has been ignored."

"Where is he, anyway? Sirius?"

James drummed his fingers on the wooden table, glancing at the doors of the Great Hall. "He's, ah, securing the loot."

Remus stared at him, baffled. "Don't tell me you've already started!"

"Right around midnight," James smiled maliciously. "It was a beautiful success if I do say so myself."

Remus' tired eyes suddenly drifted past him towards the doors. "Ginge is on the move."

James' hand flew to fix his hair as he spun around. Sure enough, Lily was loitering around the entrance, stopping random Gryffindors frantically, looking distraught to say the least. Her eyes seemed to sweep the room quickly before making a retreat.

James shot up off the bench and hurried to catch up with her, with Remus on his trail.

"Lily!" he called out before she circled a corner. She stopped and turned – James and Remus skidded to a stop, catching their breaths.

James smiled graciously, running a hand through his already messy hair. "How do you do?"

"I don't have time for this, Potter," she protested, her eyes darting up and down the hall.

Remus shot James a critical glance. He cleared his throat. "What seems to be the problem, Lily? You look upset."

Lily sighed and began up the stairwell. The boys followed.

"My cat's run off," she moaned, playing with her auburn locks nervously. "He's never vanished like this before, and he isn't feeling well to boot..."

"Not Gatsby!" James cried with mock horror. Lily glared daggers at him.

"We'll help you find him," Remus piped up. "I guarantee you that if anyone were to find him first, it'd be us."

Lily thought about it. "That would be helpful. You guys _do_ seem to know the secrets of the castle better than anyone else around here..."

"Don't you worry, Lily," James declared, mustering up the most charming smile he could, which must have been quite charming indeed. "We'll put all our effort into looking. There will be no resting, none at all!"

Lily looked at him skeptically but nodded slowly anyway. "Find me if anything."

"Don't I always?" James called out after her as she hurried off. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, amused.

Part 2 was officially initiated.

* * *

James slammed the dormitory door behind him and shrugged off his sweater, throwing it onto his bed.

"How's the cat?" he asked Sirius, who was sprawled on his own bed with his face stuffed into his pillow. He pointed towards the corner of the room without getting up.

Gatsby the cat was sitting in a conjured cage, not looking happy at all. His patchy fur stood on end and his high pitched screeching seemed to get even more violent when he saw James. Gatsby clawed at the cage furiously. Remus crouched down to look closer, mildly interested.

"Like owner like cat..." James muttered.

Sirius dragged himself off the bed. Three angry claw marks decorated his less-than-happy face.

"Don't ever leave me alone with a god forsaken cat... _ever_ again." he groaned, lightly toughing his wounds.

James roared with laughter, leaning against the bedpost. "We'll be rid of it soon," he explained, pulling his wand out of his pocket and putting a sleeping spell on the cat. Gatsby blinked then collapsed, fast asleep.

"You owe me one, Prongs." Sirius said, staring at the dozing feline bitterly. "It took me forever and a half to get that thing in there when it woke up. "

James grinned blithely. "Of course, of course. What happened to Wormtail? He was supposed to help you."

Sirius shrugged, pulling out the intricate map they created together earlier that year that showed the whereabouts of everyone in the castle. "He said the cat gave him weird allergies and... aha." He jabbed his wand at the map. "There he is in the hospital wing."

"How'd you snatch Gatsby up without anyone noticing, anyway?" Remus asked curiously.

"Oh, he was skulking near the fire last night when the Common Room was nearly empty, so we just grabbed him and ran off up the stairs." James replied bluntly. "Which was a bad idea, because he nearly ripped our eyes out."

Sirius nodded. "We put a sleeping spell on him and let him sleep in the room – and then I woke up to the sound of scratching. He was at the door, trying to escape, the beast. You guys had already disappeared and when he saw me, he launched himself at my face." Sirius shuddered.

"Talk about an effective wake-up call." Remus laughed. "So now we wait?"

James confirmed this. "We'll stay up here, though – Lily thinks we're working hard on the search and we can't be caught doing anything but."

There was a pause.

"Who's up for Exploding Snap?"

* * *

Lily sighed, sitting at the top of the stairs by the library with her head in her hands. It was close to dinner time and she still hadn't found Gatsby. She couldn't imagine what caused him to disappear so randomly – he almost never left the Common Room.

She'd already searched the Common Room, the Great Hall, the library, every hall on every floor, and even the bathrooms. Her extensive hunt came up short – no one saw or heard anything. Her own friends gave up looking hours ago after whining about feet ache, much to her dismay.

_I hope he isn't hurt,_ Lily thought tragically. The very thought made her feel like someone drenched her with a bucket of ice water. Ever since her parents purchased her the cat in her second year, she grew irrevocably close to him.

She grew lost in sad thought, not noticing light footsteps advancing up from behind her.

"You know, you're much too pretty to be spending your day secluded and depressed."

Lily whirled her head around, ready to tell James to leave her alone when he saw a familiar bundle of fur in his arm. She scrambled up to her feet, her heart nearly bursting with joy.

"_You found him_!" she cried happily, holding her hands out. Gatsby was fast asleep, his tail twitching occasionally.

James smiled broadly, handing her the little cat. "I said I would, didn't I?"

Lily smiled weakly, lowering her gaze. "I didn't think—I wasn't sure—"

"That I was telling the truth? That I said it without meaning? I'm not that much of a bad guy, Lily." he replied, raising a hand to fix, or rather unfix, the back of his hair.

Her cheeks heated up. "Where on earth did you find him?"

"He was sleeping in one of the secret corridors. I suppose he got lost and couldn't manage to get out. Don't worry, I fed him and everything."

"_Did _you?" she said, surprised. "I'd be lying if said I wasn't impressed right now." Lily paused. "I owe you immensely."

James smiled again. Lily hadn't noticed before, but she was surprised to see that his smile was actually quite nice to look at.

"The only thing I've ever wanted from you is to give me a chance. Come with me to Hogsmeade next Saturday, _please._"

Lily sighed, but at this point it was unfair to deny him. "You'll be on your best behaviour?"

"For you, anything."

She smiled, stroking Gatsby's fur. "Fine then. But just this once, don't get any ideas in your head."

"Too late," James said, amused. "They're already there."

Lily laughed, and he seemed pleased with himself. "Come on then, m'lady," he said, taking a couple steps down the stairs. "You're probably starving, and dinner's about to start in the Great Hall."

For once, she felt comfortable around James Potter and welcomed his request without hesitation. Lily could definitely get used to this.

* * *

James felt happier than he'd ever been that year as he walked down to the Great Hall with the one girl he truly ever fancied close by his side.

Yeah, so he kidnapped her cat, trapped it in the Marauders' dormitory and forced it to sleep, and sure, he lied about the true whereabouts of her pet, but he was telling the truth when he said he'd do anything for her. He would, really.

The only thing left to perfect was the trip to Hogsmeade, and James vowed to make sure Lily didn't regret it one bit.

_Operation: Obtain Evans_ was nearly complete.

* * *

**C'est fini! So what did you think? (I'm not feeling 100% on the quality of this chapter, for some odd reason. Then again, I'm pretty exhausted today). Leave me a review/feedback, please and thank you! I love reading them :)**


	3. The Slughorn Foam Stache

**The final chapter. Enjoy, and thank you for staying with it the past couple days till it was over! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or themes. J.K Rowling does.**

* * *

After a gruelling week of classes, late night studying and scribbling furiously on parchment, students in Hogwarts were absolutely relieved when the day of the Hogsmeade trip arrived. The deafening Hogwarts entrance was filled to the brim with students– tensions had evaporated and smiles could be spotted on everyone's eager faces. The doors were unlocked and students flooded out triumphantly – much to their delight, the rain had finally come to an end and the sun's rays saluted them gloriously.

Lily watched students hurry out off to the side of the entrance, tapping the toe of her shoe on the ground rhythmically and adjusting her wool hat. She was glad she brought it along – the air drifting in through the doors was quite chilly for a late March morning.

"Ooo, Lily," her friend Margaret McNeil called, edging her way through the throng towards her. Another fellow Gryffindor, Birdie Sergent, flounced alongside Margaret.

"For a girl about to spend the day with James Potter, you're looking pretty bored!" Birdie piped up, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Margaret smiled slyly. "You _do_ know you're the envy of most females today? I mean, just look over there, for instance."

The three girls turned their attention to a pair of Hufflepuff girls at the foot of the door, no older than fourth years, sneaking glances in their direction and giggling frivolously, fluffing heir mousy hair.

"Are they—are they giggling at _me_?" Lily asked bewilderingly.

Margaret rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, here _they _come now." She turned to Birdie. "Our cue to leave. Have fun!" she said, giving her a knowing look before scurrying off.

Lily turned around. 'They' turned out to be the Marauders, ambling towards them and laughing boisterously. Upon spotting her, they paused and formed a tight knit huddle. A second later, they broke apart – the other three slapped James on the back and went ahead. Sirius gave Lily a cheeky wink as they scampered down the opposite hall.

"Shall we?" James said, extending his arm and waggling his eyebrows.

Lily paused, skeptic, before linking arms with him. Together, they walked out into the crisp spring air, following the remaining stragglers out onto the trail towards Hogsmeade.

"Where are they headed?" she asked curiously, in reference to his best friends. "Aren't they attending the trip?"

James eyes gleamed mischievously. "Oh, they wouldn't miss it. They're just up to no good."

Lily shrugged, abandoning the urge to pry. She could feel waves of heat pulsing off him, even though they were both bundled thickly. She snuck a sideways glance at him – his eyes looked tired, dark shadows garnished under them. Feeling her gaze, he blinked down at her.

"Admiring my ridiculously good looks?" he said. Lily could hear the buzz of the packed village already as they made the final turn into the mouth of Hogsmeade.

"Not at all," she simpered, adjusting her woolen hat. "Just noticing those ghastly shadows under your eyes."

"And they're well worth it!" he cried. "You _do_ know it was my birthday yesterday?"

Lily laughed. "Oh yes, the one time of year where Gryffindor tower is rowdier than a zoo and the party only ends when McGonagall threatens multiple detentions on your head? Impossible to ignore."

"Ah," James mused, reflecting on the memory like it was a dear friend. "The best year yet, I'd wager. Except _you_ weren't there!" he shot accusingly, swinging their linked arms.

Lily grumbled. "I may as well have been, it was less than a decent night's sleep."

James laughed genuinely – after a second, Lily was laughing too. It was incredible how infectious she found his laugh to be. There was no denying that when he wasn't hexing innocent students, James Potter was funny, and even nice at times. Their conversation continued light and friendly, with a bit of typical conceitedness on his part. Lily even discovered they shared something they thought was quite amusing – their obsessive love for treacle tart.

"Two Butterbeers," James ordered when they were seated and comfortable in the Three Broomsticks. Lily took off her hat and looked around – the place was packed, typically. Her eyes rested on a slender boy sitting with a group of Slytherins in the far corner. They were talking lowly, some faces shadowed under thick hoods. Severus Snape looked up, and his eyes locked with Lily's. There was something in the blacks of his eyes Lily couldn't pinpoint – he almost looked bothered. Before Lily could react, he glanced away, muttering something to the boy in front of him.

"Don't worry about it," James said, noticing her trouble expression. Their Butterbeers arrived, and Lily snatched hers eagerly, hoping the sweet, warm sensation drowned away her anxiety.

"What are you staring at?" she demanded. James blinked twice, casting his eyes upward. The top of his cheeks were tinged a dull pink.

Lily gaped incredulously. "James Potter, are you _blushing_?"

He grabbed his Butterbeer and took a sip, blatantly ignoring her question. She leaned forward and smacked his shoulder, triggering a bout of spluttering from him.

"I could have died, woman!" he cried, wiping his mouth.

She smiled blithely, causing him to shoot her a contemptuous look. He downed the rest of his Butterbeer, and leaned back, grinning intensely at her.

She took another large gulp, narrowing her eyes at him from over her cup. Upon placing it down, James burst into laughter, winning him the startled looks of several people nearby

Lily froze. "What?"

James nearly had tears in his eyes. "You—you have a moustache—enough to—to give Slughorn a run for his m-money!" he laughed, losing his breath.

Lily wiped her mouth with her jacket sleeve, horrified. "You didn't have to announce it to everyone, you prick!"

She downed the rest of her drink and got up, grabbing James' arm and weaving through the crowd, embarrassed. She didn't want him to see her face for a moment, because it was clear that, as hard as she was trying to conceal it, Lily was laughing inside too.

* * *

James picked up a bag of gummy worms off a Honeydukes shelf, examining it curiously. "How about these?" he asked Lily.

Lily gave him a sour expression. "No, those are the kind that squirm around in your month."

"Hm," James said, mildly impressed. _Padfoot will definitely like these,_ he thought, holding on to them.

A stout little boy no older than five squeezed by him and snatched three of the gummy worm packages. A woman hurried after him as he dragged them off giggling.

"Oh Eugene, put those down!" she cried, running after him.

James stifled a snort. "What a terrible name, poor boy. Definitely going to get teased about that later in life," he said.

Lily chuckled, her eyes raking the shelves. "Oh don't be mean, it must have some kind of meaning for the family."

James shrugged, following her. "If I had a kid, I would never curse him with a silly name like _Eugene_."

"What would you name him, then?"

James paused, pondering for a moment. "A good name would be...hm... Harry. Yeah, Harry."

"Harry. Harry Potter. Has a nice ring to it, I guess..." Lily grabbed a bag of Bertie Bott's and turned to him. "Okay, I think this will last me a while," she announced, letting him look inside her bag. There had to be at least two dozen different types of candies and chocolates stuffed inside.

"Nah, I think you can do with a few more," he said sarcastically, paying for them up front and holding the door open for her.

"Hey you're the one who insisted I buy something," she said, swinging the bag back and forth as they made their way back up to the castle.

Though James was dead tired, he couldn't have asked for a better day. Being around Lily was a lot better than he had ever bargained for – he found himself laughing with her countless times, albeit sometimes at her. He'd grown noticeably closer to her in the past few hours, and he could see that she was enjoying herself too.

He glanced sideways at her – her cheeks were slightly pink from the cool temperature, and her emerald-green eyes were brought out even more with her green wool hat. _Beautiful,_ he thought.

Except he didn't think it. "What did you say?" Lily said, gazing up at him as they trekked on.

James felt heat rush to his face at his aloud comment. "Nothing," he muttered, looking away.

"No, _what did you say_," she insisted, stopping them both.

_Perhaps she already heard it,_ James thought anxiously. "It's nothing new that I fancy you, Lily."

She blushed and gazed away, which James found peculiar for some reason.

He smiled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "You've never reacted like that the thousand times I've told you before," he pointed out slyly.

"I never fancied you back those times," she said gently.

James looked at her in awe, placing her heavy bag of sweets on the ground. "Y-you actually mean that?"

Lily's lips twitched in a smile. "I don't joke around, Potter."

She stepped close enough for him to smell her sweet, familiar scent. James took a hand and placed it lightly on her cheek, gazing intensely into her jewel-like eyes, the ones he found more stunning than anything else in the world.

If his conscious were Sirius, he'd be silently yelling "hold nothing back!"

James hesitated, then leaned forward, kissing her lightly at first – in a lightning fast response, Lily wrapped her arms around her neck and pressed her lips firmly against his with undeniable hunger. James felt the heat pulsing off her and pulled her against him tighter, nearly lifting her off her feet.

The heated embrace seemed to last forever before Lily broke it off much to James' disappointment. He panted, looking down at her with a love drunk expression.

A flustered Lily looked pleased with herself. "Back to the castle, then?" she said simply.

Rather saying anything, James nodded, still disoriented. He grabbed the bag of sweets off the ground and swung an arm around her shoulder. He may have looked confused, but inside, James felt like a million fireworks were ignited at the once, and could probably outdo any New Year's displays.

* * *

"Mission?" Padfoot asked later that night in their dormitory. Moony and Wormtail leaned closer, waiting for a reply.

James grinned. "100% Complete."

* * *

**And that's the end of that! Please review it, comment, and I would love feedback! Thanks a lot, guys :)**

**Also: I plan on starting a proper story soon with quite a few chapters (romance/suspense), and I'm excited - does anyone have a particular ship you think I should write? I'm willing to try anything (except slash.. LOL).**


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